What does this breakdown clause mean?

ripplyuk

I got my Greenflag renewal and they’ve changed some things. One of them I don’t understand. It used to say that if the garage is closed, they’ll take the car home and pick it up again the next day. Now it says this:

”If the repairer’s closed and you ask us to take your vehicle home (as long as your home is within 10 miles of where the breakdown happened or no further than the repairer that we’ve recommended) , we can pick it up the next day or when mutually acceptable, if the next day isn’t possible, and take it to the repairer” 

Does this mean I can only drive within 10 miles of my home? What happens if the garage is closed and I’m more than 10 miles from home? Will they just dump the car on the road outside the garage or will they take it home and then I have to pay to get it taken to the garage myself? 

Astrozombies

Ring them up and ask them. Seems strange though.

daveyjp

Without seeing the whole document it is impossible to say.  There may be other clauses which affect the meaning of this particular clause.

AdrianC

Full Ts & Cs
https://www.greenflag.com/breakdown-cover/policy-pdfs/breakdown-policy-booklet.pdf

If you break down more than 10 miles away, outside garage hours, they won't take you home. They'll take you to the garage or to a hotel a similar distance away.

You're looking at the "rescue" policy that doesn't include national recovery, but seem to want the national recovery.
All the rescue policy is for is getting you off the roadside. The rest is your problem.
If you do want taking home even if you've broken down more than 10 miles away, then pay the extra for the recovery policy.

ripplyuk

AdrianC said:

Full Ts & Cs
https://www.greenflag.com/breakdown-cover/policy-pdfs/breakdown-policy-booklet.pdf

If you break down more than 10 miles away, outside garage hours, they won't take you home. They'll take you to the garage or to a hotel a similar distance away.

You're looking at the "rescue" policy that doesn't include national recovery, but seem to want the national recovery.
All the rescue policy is for is getting you off the roadside. The rest is your problem.
If you do want taking home even if you've broken down more than 10 miles away, then pay the extra for the recovery policy.

My policy is the ‘recovery plus’ which is their highest level (apart from adding European cover). 

I know they will rescue me from anywhere but this clause is specifically about what happens if the garage is closed. The main reason I chose Greenflag is because they offered this option of taking the car home and then taking it to the garage the next day. It didn’t used to have any limit on it. Now they changed it and it’s confusing. 

AdrianC

ripplyuk said:

AdrianC said:

Full Ts & Cs
https://www.greenflag.com/breakdown-cover/policy-pdfs/breakdown-policy-booklet.pdf

If you break down more than 10 miles away, outside garage hours, they won't take you home. They'll take you to the garage or to a hotel a similar distance away.

You're looking at the "rescue" policy that doesn't include national recovery, but seem to want the national recovery.
All the rescue policy is for is getting you off the roadside. The rest is your problem.
If you do want taking home even if you've broken down more than 10 miles away, then pay the extra for the recovery policy.

My policy is the ‘recovery plus’ which is their highest level (apart from adding European cover). 

I know they will rescue me from anywhere but this clause is specifically about what happens if the garage is closed. The main reason I chose Greenflag is because they offered this option of taking the car home and then taking it to the garage the next day. It didn’t used to have any limit on it. Now they changed it and it’s confusing. 

Then look down the doc a bit to the benefits of "Recovery" over "Rescue"...

WHAT’S COVERED
• Getting you where you need to be With Recovery, you’ll get all the benefits of our Rescue cover. On top of that, if your vehicle can’t be fixed locally the same day, we’ll take you, your passengers and your vehicle to a single destination of your choice, anywhere in the UK

Then down a bit further to "Rescue Plus", and read about the hire car...

ripplyuk

AdrianC said:

ripplyuk said:

AdrianC said:

Full Ts & Cs
https://www.greenflag.com/breakdown-cover/policy-pdfs/breakdown-policy-booklet.pdf

If you break down more than 10 miles away, outside garage hours, they won't take you home. They'll take you to the garage or to a hotel a similar distance away.

You're looking at the "rescue" policy that doesn't include national recovery, but seem to want the national recovery.
All the rescue policy is for is getting you off the roadside. The rest is your problem.
If you do want taking home even if you've broken down more than 10 miles away, then pay the extra for the recovery policy.

My policy is the ‘recovery plus’ which is their highest level (apart from adding European cover). 

I know they will rescue me from anywhere but this clause is specifically about what happens if the garage is closed. The main reason I chose Greenflag is because they offered this option of taking the car home and then taking it to the garage the next day. It didn’t used to have any limit on it. Now they changed it and it’s confusing. 

Then look down the doc a bit to the benefits of "Recovery" over "Rescue"...

WHAT’S COVERED
• Getting you where you need to be With Recovery, you’ll get all the benefits of our Rescue cover. On top of that, if your vehicle can’t be fixed locally the same day, we’ll take you, your passengers and your vehicle to a single destination of your choice, anywhere in the UK

Then down a bit further to "Rescue Plus", and read about the hire car...

It just says they’ll take the car to any single destination for me, or else give me a hire car. That doesn’t mention anything about collecting my car for me the next day and taking it to the garage for me (not that I can see). 

I finally managed to get through to Greenflag today. The guy on the phone didn’t know about this clause either. I read it out to him and he said they must have just recently changed it. He’s going to ask for help from someone else and has told me he will ring back. 

ETA: He rang back. Unfortunately the clause does mean if I’m more than 10 miles from home, they no longer offer this vehicle collection service. Or at least, it’s not guaranteed. He said beyond 10 miles, it’s at their discretion. It’s a bit of a shame because that was the main reason I chose Greenflag to begin with. None of the other breakdown companies seem to offer it. Greenflag still seem to be the cheapest for me though, so I’ll probably still renew. 

forgotmyname

RAC do well they did. Sister broke down at a Sunday carboot. She took my car and the RAC guy towed me over 15 miles
back to her house. They collected the car Monday morning and took it to the garage for her.

That was a while ago, so their terms may have changed also.

Guessing the 10 miles or no further than the garage they recommended may give some flexibility?  Should be cheaper for them to
take you home rather than put you up for the night or arrange alternative transport?

ripplyuk

forgotmyname said:

RAC do well they did. Sister broke down at a Sunday carboot. She took my car and the RAC guy towed me over 15 miles
back to her house. They collected the car Monday morning and took it to the garage for her.

That was a while ago, so their terms may have changed also.

Guessing the 10 miles or no further than the garage they recommended may give some flexibility?  Should be cheaper for them to
take you home rather than put you up for the night or arrange alternative transport?

I’m not sure. I think since they use independent garages, there’s probably going to be one close enough to wherever I break down. The guy on the phone said that in that situation, if the garage is shut, they would pay for my transport home by taxi etc. I asked what they’d do with my car and he said they would take it to one of their depots overnight and then take it to the garage the next morning. Tbh, he seemed a bit unsure about that part. I wasn’t aware that Greenflag even had depots here (Northern Ireland). 

I’ve had a look at the RAC but it seems to be much more expensive than my renewal quote with Greenflag. 

forgotmyname

My GreenFlag is due in a month or so, will check that one out.  I left the RAC last year due to their prices.

I have the Mayday package also which may alter the cover.